3-Guys Madden League Pre-Season Projections & Award Predictions

• By Scoops Caligiri
• Near The NFL Writer
• Published: June 7, 2016 at 6:17 p.m.
• Updated: June 7, 2016 at 08:47 p.m.
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During these NFL dog days of summer, there is nothing better than unnecessarily stirring up controversy to help get us back into football season. We polled various owners, players and general managers and asked them to predict the 2016 order of finish for the AFC East as well as to pre-determine who would win some of the coveted 3-Guys Madden hardware at the end of the season. So, without further ado, let's start the debate. 

Projected Final 2016 AFC East Standings
T1st - New England Patriots
T1st - Buffalo Bills
3rd - New York Jets
4th - Miami Dolphins

No respect for the defending AFC East and Super Bowl Champions. Apparently the losses of quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (released) and fullback Roosevelt Nix (free agent) were enough for pundits to predict a free fall for winter's darlings from a year ago.
"I know you're trying to get us riled up man," safety Calvin Pryor said. "But I ain't taking the bait. We (are) in a good division, so honestly any team can win it this year; We have to come out hungry again (because) now we are the hunted."
With a healthy Tom Brady returning, the Patriots look poised to regain their place on the division throne.
"I don't have any thoughts on that poll," coach Bill Belichick said. "Waste of time if you ask me - it's 85-degrees outside, what are you doing?"
The division's other hall of fame signal caller is looking to bounce back from an injury a year ago to put his team back in the playoff hunt.
"It was a nice story for Miami last year," Buffalo quarterback Aaron Rodgers said. "But you're not going to have every quarterback in the division go down with an injury (Brady & Rodgers) or benching (Cam Newton). I wouldn't call it a fluke what they (Miami) accomplished last year, but you can't undersell the fact that it was a fluky season."
The team that no one seems to be talking about, the New York Jets, quietly had an outstanding off-season and, if their rookies develop, have (on paper) one of the most talented defensive units the NFL has seen in some time.
"I like being under the radar," defensive tackle Aaron Donald said. "Let everyone else grab the headlines. We'll be ready to write our own when they visit the NYC."

Projected 3-Guys 2016 Award Winners
Offensive Player of the Year: Quarterback Aaron Rodgers (Buffalo)
Defensive Player of the Year: Defensive End Khalil Mack (Miami)
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Wide Receiver Josh Doctson (Buffalo)
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Linebacker/Safety Myles Jack (New York)

Although Buffalo's Todd Gurley ran away with many of the 2015 awards, all signs point to a more balanced Bills attack in 2016 with a healthy Rodgers back calling the shots.
Khalil Mack shared votes with Pryor from the vaunted Miami defense. Both players will look to continue to carry their team while the passing game gets settled with Jimmy Garoppolo version 2.0 (yikes).
For Rodgers to live up to this preseason hype, he will need to rely on his rookie pass catcher Josh Doctson out of TCU. Doctson' skill set fits perfectly with what Rex Ryan's crew wants out of a wideout: Ability to go get it and run. Doctson split votes in this category with the speedy and versatile Braxton Miller out of Ohio State. The New York Jets can cause matchup nightmares with Tavon Austin and Miller on the field at the same time (Miami still has nightmares about Austin's end around TD last season).
The young Jet defenders Myles Jack and Jalen Ramsey were both mentioned in the DROY category and it wouldn't surprise anyone if either player ended the season in the Pro Bowl. If you get bored, search the potential starting 11 for New York's defense next year...I'll wait...Scary right?

NFL Players Top 100 Players for 2016

Below we will track players from the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, & New York Jets who crack the current NFL Players Top 100 Player Rankings for 2016 list.

#78 Chris Ivory (HB - Miami Dolphins): Last year as a New York Giant, Ivory led a ground-and-pound rushing attack that allowed Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr. to flourish as defenses stacked the box. Ivory joins the Super Bowl 50 champs to form a formidable duo with Thomas Rawls, last year's NFL leader in rush yards. 

#66 Earl Thomas (FS - Miami Dolphins): The soul of one of the NFL's most feared defenses, Thomas flew around the field all season for a Miami team that finished with a magical championship run. 

#63 Gerald McCoy (DT - Buffalo Bills): This perennial pro-bowler helped the Bills defense lead the NFL in rushing defense by a wide margin. Offenses were forced to go one-dimensional against the wall of McCoy and Geno Atkins. 

#61 NaVorro Bowman (MLB - New York Jets): The tackling machine starred for one of the most feared front sevens in the NFL. Bowman's bone-crunching hits left ball carriers hoping to bounce every run to the outside. With the addition of Brandon Marshall, backs now have nowhere to hide. 

#58 Kawann Short (DT - New York Jets): Short, at times, plays like one of the best defensive tackles in the league, but he'll admit that he's not even the best at his position on his team.  "That's Aaron for sure," Short says.  Although he's not yet putting himself in Donald's stratosphere, Short is a monster in the middle for a dominant New York defense.

#57 Clay Matthews (OLB - Buffalo Bills): Matthews served as the Buffalo heart-and-soul a year ago.  When quarterback Aaron Rodgers went down, Matthews became the team's leader while keeping his squad in the playoff hunt despite a dramatic offensive drop off with Rodgers sidelined. 

#37 Marshall Yanda (OG - New York Jets): Yanda is a road-grader on the inside for the powerful Jets offensive line. With an increased focus on the running game while incorporating a new short-passing game emphasis through a change in offensive coordinators in 2016, fans in New York can rely on Yanda to help these alterations lead to success on the field. 

#32 Kam Chancellor (SS - New York Jets): Adding  young playmakers Myles Jack and Jalen Ramsey to a defensive backfield that includes Joe Haden and the hard-hitting Chancellor makes the 2016 New York Jets defense a terror on paper. Opposing offenses already had to account for Chancellor's playmaking ability in their game-planning. Now, with an influx of talent, Chancellor should see his game-changing moments increase along with adding playoff appearances to the New York record book. 

#29 Geno Atkins (DT - Buffalo Bills): You often see opposing offensive coordinators updating their resumes the week they face the Buffalo Bills. With the #63 player on our list (Gerald McCoy) and Atkins regularly destroying game-plans by bullying centers and guards around the league, there is little reason to doubt that the 2016 Bills will continue to exist as one of the most feared front sevens in NFL history. 
"I almost broke my collarbone watching them on film," Bills quarterback Aaron Rodgers said. "I sure am glad they're on my team."

#22 Todd Gurley (HB - Buffalo Bills): The only shock to seeing 2015 rookie-of-the-year (and 3-Guys League MVP) Todd Gurley on the list of the NFL's top players is that he did not crack the Top 10. After a season that saw him destroy the NFL's single-season RECEPTION record along with being one of the league's top rushers, Gurley now rates as the league's most dangerous threat. Gurley has turned into a bigger and stronger version of LaDainian Tomlinson in his prime - and he is only 21 years old. Scary.

#14 Aaron Donald (DT - New York Jets): Donald has quietly become one of the league's best defensive players. The 2014 Defensive Rookie of the Year has been invaluable in stopping the run and rushing the passer for the defensive unit roaming the streets of MetLife Stadium. Donald is the 4th Jet to grace our Top 100 list on the defensive side of the ball teaming up with Navorro Bowman (MLB), Kawann Short (DT), and Kam Chancellor (SS). There have been many predictions pointing to a deep 2016 playoff run for the New York Jets and this author has no reason to doubt that with the collection of defensive talent assembled by this organization's front office. 

#13 Khalil Mack (DE - Miami Dolphins): If voting for this list had occurred immediately after Super Bowl 50, Mack undoubtedly would have been number one on our list. With his Super Bowl record 5-sack performance, Mack single-handedly shut down the Packer attack led in the 37-20 Miami triumph. Super Bowl performance aside, Mack was easily the most consistent player on the league's 2nd ranked defense. 

#7 Luke Kuechly (MLB - Buffalo Bills): The leader on the inside for Buffalo, Kuechly has quickly placed himself on a Hall of Fame trajectory. Last year, with 153 tackles including 22 for loss, Kuechly flew around the field within Rex Ryan's new scheme. With arguably the best signal caller in the game (Aaron Rodgers) on offense and the best defensive "quarterback" in Kuechly, there are no more excused for the 2016 Bills as they look towards making a trip to Super Bowl LI.

#6 Aaron Rodgers (QB - Buffalo Bills): If we are being honest with ourselves, we can agree that any list with Aaron Rodgers outside of the Top 5 is ludicrous. However, after his collarbone injury sidelined him for the last quarter of the 2015 season, we can forgive players for forgetting how unstoppable A-Rod can be. Rodgers has proclaimed 2016 as "Super Bowl or Bust." Who are we to disagree with him?

AFC East Draft Grades (Rounds 1-3)

BUFFALO BILLS (Overall Grade - B)

1st Round (#17) - WR Josh Doctson (TCU)
Height: 6'2" Weight: 202 pounds 
Draft Expert's Take: The move made perfect sense for a Buffalo team who lacked a true number one option. His ability to catch the ball in traffic gives the Bills something they don't currently have on the roster. 
2nd Round (#48) - CB Mackensie Alexander (Clemson)
Height: 5'10" Weight: 190 pounds
Draft Expert's Take: The Bills needed to find help in their defensive backfield. In taking Alexander they took a player who slipped down the draft board. Alexander is a player who can play inside or outside and play with physicality. 
3rd Round (#70) - DT Jonathan Bullard (Florida)
Height: 6'3" Weight: 285 pounds
Draft Expert's Take: The move up to get Bullard made all the sense in the world for Buffalo. Bullard's ability to play multiple positions gives the Bill flexibility immediately and in the future. 

MIAMI DOLPHINS (Overall Grade - C+)

1st Round (#22) - MLB Reggie Ragland (Alabama)
Height: 6'1" Weight: 247 pounds 
Draft Expert's Take: Ragland solved two position needs for the Dolphins in that he's an upgrade at middle linebacker while allowing Wagner to kick back outside. Ragland's size and versatility gives him a chance to be a very good player from day one.
2nd Round (#58) - DT Andrew Billings (Baylor)
Height: 6'1" Weight: 311 pounds
Draft Expert's Take: Billings is probably the strongest player in this draft; A former weight lifter, he's an extremely tough player to move. A bit of a luxury pick with two good defensive tackles; Billings makes that front perhaps the strongest and deepest in the league. 
3rd Round (#76) - SS Miles Killebrew (Southern Utah)
Height: 6'2" Weight: 217 pounds
Draft Expert's Take: Killebrew is a big hitter in the same mold of another small school stud Jonathan Cyprien. A versatile defender, at worst he becomes a star special teams player as a rookie.
3rd Round (#95) - G Christian Westerman (Arizona State)
Height: 6'3" Weight: 298 pounds
Draft Expert's Take: Westerman is a very solid football player who may never be a star in the league. He's athletic for an interior player but has a bit of rawness in his game. 

NEW YORK JETS (Overall Grade - A)

1st Round (#3) - CB Jalen Ramsey (Florida State)
Height: 6'1" Weight: 209 pounds 
Draft Expert's Take: My number one player in the draft. Went third overall to the Jets. Ramsey's versatility and athleticism makes him perhaps the best defensive back prospect in the past decade. 
1st Round (#14) - OLB Myles Jack (UCLA)
Height: 6'1" Weight: 245 pounds
Draft Expert's Take: The best cover linebacker in the draft. Jack's ability to man up on any player on the field makes him unique. Adding Jack to that linebacking corps makes it the best coverage linebacking group in the league. 
2nd Round (#41) - HB Derrick Henry (Alabama)
Height: 6'3" Weight: 247 pounds
Draft Expert's Take: A luxury pick for the Jets. Henry provides a thumper and an extremely powerful short yardage back for New York. 
2nd Round (#63) - WR Braxton Miller (Ohio State)
Height: 6'1" Weight: 201 pounds
Draft Expert's Take: For a team already with Tavon Austin, they drafted a clone. However, with Austin entering the last year of his contract and the general manager valuing versatility, Miller might play a very big role as a rookie. 
3rd Round (#93) - DT Hassan Ridgeway (Texas)
Height: 6'3" Weight: 303 pounds
Draft Expert's Take: A talented kid with mixed results on the field. Ridgeway provided some needed depth on the defensive line. 

Miami at it Again: Up Two More Spots to #21

The Dolphins are at it again pulling off a late night deal with the Washington Redskins to move up two more spots to #21 in Thursday nights draft by dealing their #23 pick along with the #76 pick (3rd round). Miami also received Washington's 6th rounder (#187).

Dolphins Jump Back Into First Round in Trade with Vikings

The Miami exit from the first round of Thursday's NFL Draft was short-lived as the wheeling-and-dealing 'Phins made a splash back into day one of the draft festivities in a trade with the Minnesota Vikings.
The Dolphins will receive the Vikings 1st rounder Thursday (#23) and a 2016 5th rounder (#160).
Minnesota will receive Miami's 2nd round pick (#36 from San Diego), tackle Luke Joeckel, a 2016 3rd rounder (#124) and a 2017 6th rounder (from the New York Jets in an earlier trade for LeGarrette Blount).
Miami's front office obviously has their eye on a certain player or position, but the team was coy when asked.
"We could go a lot of different ways," the owner said. "We need depth at quarterback, wide receiver, and defensive tackle."
You do not trade into the first round for "depth," so Dolphins fans should be excited for whom the team targets at #23 on Thursday.

Eagles & Jets Shake Up First Round Again

Although it surprised no one after reports began to flow out of Philadelphia that the franchise was desperate to land one of the top two quarterbacks in the draft, the Eagles pulled the trigger on a deal with the New York Jets to acquire the 2nd overall selection in the upcoming NFL Draft.
"It was time to move," Eagles General Manager Howie Roseman said. "We love both of these passers."
The Jets, now trading for a third time in the 1st round, moved back five spots to pick up the Eagles 1st rounder in 2017, their 2nd round pick in 2018 and a 3rd rounder in 2016 (while also swapping 4th rounders in 2016).

NFL Draft Trade Rumors - Jets Wanting out of #2?

All of the so-called experts fully expect the New York Jets to take either Carson Wentz or Jared Goff with the second pick in the NFL Draft (which is now only eight days away).
However, there have been multiple reports gaining traction around NFL Insider circles that have connected the Jets with the Eagles at #2.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that New York has been in contact with Philadelphia to potentially move back to #8 while acquiring additional picks in the 2016 and 2017 draft.
"Initially it was thought that San Francisco was coming on the strongest to try to get on of the top passers in the draft,"Schefter said. "But look for the Eagles to make a splash sooner rather than later."
With Cam Newton now in Cleveland, perhaps the New York brass believe that newly signed Chase Daniel is the solution under center until they feel that Bryce Petty can fully take the reigns.